Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight Journal #1

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Co-Executive Producer Cindi Rice on the process of bringing the noted D&D property to the animated film medium

By IGN Staff

Among the denizens of Krynn, quite a few regard Raistlin Majere as the most powerful mage ever to inhabit their world. Slightly older and naturally far more robust, his twin bother Caramon is a fighter. Having adventured apart for some years, they have arranged a reunion with some former companions. Tanis Half-Elven is skilled with both bow and sword, but never eager to use either. Highly skilled in metalwork, the dwarven Flint Fireforge prefers the battleaxe, while the weapon of choice for the human Sturm Brightblade is obvious. Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a member of the slender kender race, is a rogue.

In mid-January, Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight will bring us this diverse group's adventure, a tale initially told in a best-selling 1984 D&D novel written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, in a direct to DVD animated movie. Raistlin may sound familiar since he is voiced by 24 star Keifer Sutherland, while the other cast members include Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). With the release date quickly approaching, it was timely that we received the chance to obtain some insights from one of the project's initiators and visionaries, Cindi Rice.

Includes an exclusive video

As a rabid gamer, it has been very exciting for me to help bring Dragonlance to life as an animated film. I've actually been involved with the property in one way or another for over a decade, since my time working at TSR as a game editor for the Dungeons & Dragons worlds. For this project, my role as Co-Executive Producer can be described as a sort of spiritual guide, helping everyone involved understand the richness of the world and the devoted passion of its fanbase.

the team has worked very hard to make a movie targeted at Dragonlance fans... not shying away from the violence and intensity that the fantasy and game audience expects.

My goal when I came to California was to find a way to translate the games I love so much into the film and television world. Believe me, it has not been an easy process. As is the standard for Hollywood, tons of deals were set up, though few made it through to production. I did have the pleasure of working on both Scourge of Worlds and the second D&D movie with Silver Pictures, during which my most important responsibility was to help the producers understand the brand and advise them on how to align their creative vision with the game.

Dragonlance saw many ups and downs in its journey to the screen. During the first few years, I set up several feature film deals for it, but none of them got off the ground. Along the way, I met John Frank Rosenblum, who joined my D&D game, and became both my friend and later my business partner. He and I spent many hours at the gaming table discussing how to translate these stories into film and debating why it hadn't happened already. Then, in a meeting with Paramount, one of the executives asked me if we'd considered animation for the project, rather than live action. We thought, "Why not?" Animation is a fantastic and creative storytelling medium, which would allow us an amazing amount of freedom to represent an entirely unique fantasy world, something completely unlike our own.

Right away, Paramount set up a meeting for us to talk with Steve Stabler and his partner Arthur Cohen, who had just set up a production deal with Paramount and Toonz Animation to create a series of animated films. When I met them, they were trying to figure out what their first project for this new deal should be, so I pitched the Dragonlance story to them. They fell in love with it right away, and we immediately began looking for a creative team who could grasp the complexity of this rich game world and translate it convincingly to the screen.

We met with many writers and directors, but quickly honed in on George Strayton and Will Meugniot for the project. George turned out to be the perfect choice as the writer for this film. Not only is he an extremely talented screenwriter, with a particular knack for both action and subtlety, but he has had a great deal of experience in both the game and entertainment industries. In addition, he's a huge Dragonlance fan, who was very eager to work with the authors and game designers, which was extremely helpful.

Likewise, Will turned out to be a linchpin for the film. He's experienced, respected and brilliant, and he's especially proficient at working on existing franchises, which is a very difficult skill. Remember, the job of a director is to create a unique vision for a movie and guide the team toward that goal. On an existing property, however, you want someone who understands how to hone in on the vision that already exists and find a way to express it as honestly and sincerely as possible. That's something very few directors do well.

Over the past two years, the team has worked very hard to make a movie targeted at Dragonlance fans, which is why we aimed for the PG-13 rating, not shying away from the violence and intensity that the fantasy and game audience expects. We feel like we've created a film that is very true to the original novels and games, and all we can do now is wait to see if enough people appreciate the final product so we can get started on the next part of the story.